Barb Wire (film)
Barb Wire is a 1996 film based on the Dark Horse comic book series of the same name. Plot The film is a re-imagining of Casablanca, but set in 2017 during the "Second American Civil War" rather than Casablanca during World War II, and with some key roles being played by the opposite gender. Barb Wire (Anderson) owns the Hammerhead, a nightclub in Steel Harbor — "the last free city" in a United States ravaged by the civil war — and she brings in extra cash by hiring out as a mercenary and bounty hunter. Her club is raided by Chief of Police Willis (Xander Berkeley), who is looking for the fugitive Dr. Corrina "Cora" Devonshire (Victoria Rowell). Devonshire, a former government scientist, has information about a bioweapon being developed by her former superior, Colonel Pryzer (Steve Railsback) of the Congressional Directorate; she is trying to escape to Canada in order to make this information public. Meanwhile, Cora Devonshire has turned up at the Hammerhead. She is accompanied by Axel Hood (Temuera Morrison), a "freedom fighter" whom Barb had known (and, it is implied, loved) at the outbreak of the war, but the two were separated soon afterward. Axel is now married to Cora, and is trying to help her get to Canada. They are trying to find a contraband pair of contact lenses which will allow Cora to evade the retinal scan at the Steel Harbor airport. The lenses pass through the hands of several lowlifes before also ending up at Barb's nightclub. Rather than give the lenses to Cora and Axel, Barb makes a deal with "Big Fatso" (Andre Rosey Brown), the leader of a junkyard gang: Fatso wants the lenses, which are worth a fortune on the black market, and Barb wants a million dollars and an armed escort to the airport, where she plans to get on the plane to Canada. But Fatso double-crosses Barb; when Barb, Axel, and Cora show up at the junkyard to make the swap, Colonel Pryzer and his storm troopers are also there, along with Chief of Police Willis. Willis makes a show of arresting Barb and Cora, but instead of putting handcuffs on Barb, he slips her a hand grenade. Barb uses the grenade to kill Fatso and cause enough confusion to allow Barb, Axel, Cora, and Willis to pile into Barb's armored van and lead the Congressionals on a car chase, culminating in a hand-to-hand fight between Barb and Colonel Pryzer atop a moving crane. Pryzer falls to his death while Barb escapes just before the crane explodes. In the end, the party makes it to the airport, where Barb reveals that she still has the contact lenses. She gives them to Cora, and Cora and Axel get on the plane to Canada while Willis and Barb remain on the rainswept tarmac. Willis: Where will you go? Barb: Well, I hear Paris is nice this time of year. Willis: I do believe I'm falling in love. Barb: Get in line! Cast *Pamela Anderson as Barbara "Barb Wire" Kopetski *Temuera Morrison as Axel Hood *Victoria Rowell as Dr. Corrina "Cora D" Devonshire *Jack Noseworthy as Charlie Kopetski *Xander Berkeley as Alexander Willis *Udo Kier as Curly *Andre Rosey Brown as Big Fatso *Nicholas Worth as Ruben Tentenbaum *Clint Howard as Schmitz *Jennifer Banko as Spike *Steve Railsback as Colonel Pryzer *Michael Russo as Santos *Loren Ruben as Krebs *Tommy 'Tiny' Lister as the Bouncer Production The film was shot in California and Mississippi. External links * Barb Wire (film)